Whither Grassroots Politics? —Isaac Asabor

It is not an overstatement to say that the just concluded local government elections in all the local government and local council development areas of Lagos state unarguably exposed the negative perception which the electorate has on governance at the grassroots level in our country.

This, no doubt, led to an unprecedented voter apathy or low-turnout of voters during the elections. It is an untoward phenomenon in a true democracy. This is because once the people are disappointed in the democratic process, and eventually back out from from the process, one can opine that democracy itself will become dead. A true democracy revolves around the people. The people are the fulcrum of democracy.

The people are unquestionably the foundation of democracy in any nation. The Bible in the book of Psalms 11 verse 3 says “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Literarily rephrased in this context, one can ask, “If the people are frustrated out of politics, what can the politicians do?” The answer to this question is not far fetched. The direction of governance in the country is bound to go the wrong way when the people are no more involved in the process of democratic politics. No politician can rule a geographical expanse of land without people inhabiting it. As it is today, based on observations of the last local government elections in Lagos state, one can categorically conjecture that the electorate has lost interest in politics, particularly at the grassroots level.

However, the interests and enthusiasm of the people or voters in the state can be rekindled if the suggested steps in this piece are strictly followed.

One may not be wrong to say that the level of corruption at the grassroots level of governance in the country has for long reached an alarming rate.

This writer was not surprised by the unprecedented apathy exhibited by Lagosians during the elections. The apathy was not unexpected given the observable poor performance of some local government Chairmen.

During the campaign period that preceded the elections, some of the chairmen, through television paid advertisement, showcased smallest-sized generators, grinding machines, umbrellas for GSM Call Centres among other items which they purportedly gave out to the people as part of the empowerment programmes designed for the people in their constituencies.

To me, most of them are still light years away from understanding what governance is all about. Grassroots governance goes beyond the freebies they are providing for the people. Some of them still have the mindset of “Chop I Chop” politics. Politicking at the grassroots goes beyond the buying of salt and pepper for distribution to the people.

However, some Chairmen in Lagos state have proved, through their works, that they can perform very well, even when elected as governors, but these performing Chairmen are today undeservedly suffering the gloomy image portrayed by their non-performing counterparts in other local government and local council development areas.

Nevertheless, the apathy exhibited by voters during the just concluded elections at the grassroots level of Lagos state can be reversed under the following conditions.

First and foremost, the Chairmen and their supervisory councilors should completely change their attitudes to service toward the betterment of the people. They should as well change their mindsets concerning politics. Governance at the grassroots is not a matter of “Chop-I-Chop”. It is a matter of service to the people.

Secondly, they should begin to engage public relations professionals to be interfacing between them and the various constituencies. They should never engage professionals who are into partisan politics. From time to time, communication professionals variously engaged by the local governments can be carrying out opinion surveys within the constituencies to know what the people are saying. This will, no doubt, guide them in formulating and implementing policies.

The third recommendation I will suggest in this piece is that the state government should strengthen its supervisory role over the local government and local council development areas. The governor and the responsible commissioner for local governments should ensure that the fiscal allocations provided through the state for the running of the local governments are judiciously utilised by the chairman.

Still on the oversight role of the state on the local government areas, the state government should ensure that it is carried along from the conception, implementation and the commissioning of programmes or projects.

Another important issue to be considered is the academic qualifications of the Chairmen and their supervisory councilors. Personally, I think political positions at the grassroots should be left for, at least, holders of ordinary diploma or those that have equivalent qualifications.

Finally, I am also suggesting that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should begin to beam its searchlight on those at the grassroots level of governance. I believe if EFCC begins to beam its ever-dreaded searchlight on them, they would sit up and be up and doing. This, no doubt, will help in removing the phenomenon of apathy in our politics.

•Asabor writes from Lagos.